Soul Mate
by teppei
Summary: Itsuki x Ryouka. A “bonus” story based on their relationship right after chapter 39 of volume 9. What's really going on in their minds?
1. Chapter 1

This fanfic is a bonus story based on chapter 39 of volume 9 (when Itsuki says farewell to Maika). What bothered me most was the formality used by Itsuki. He still calls Maika as just Maika while he calls Ryouka as Ryouka-_san_. Obviously, Itsuki still loves Maika and if she didnt fall in love with Kazuhito, he probably wouldve gone back to her. It infuriated me more when Itsuki silently bids his soul mate Maika goodbye. I thought it really wasnt fair to Ryouka.

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**Soul Mate**

**Chapter One**

_"Ryouka-chan, what are you having for lunch today?"_

_"…"_

_"Ryouka-chan?"_

_"…"_

_"Ryouka-channn!"_

_The girl with the pigtails snapped back to reality. "Oh! I'm sorry, Noriko-chan. What did you say?"_

_Noriko set her eyes in the direction that preoccupied Ryouka's mind. Far into the distance near the school's court yard, was the Emperor of the student council, Itsuki Otomiya and Maika Rikyuu. They were standing under a huge tree together, talking and laughing. _

_"So you were looking at Itsuki-sama?"_

_Ryouka felt her face grow hot, which made it all the more obvious that it was true. _

_"Did you know that there are rumours going around the school lately? That Itsuki-sama and Maika-san are lovers?"_

_Ryouka looked down at her feet almost dejectedly, her auburn hair dangling over her eyes and casting a deep long shadow._

_"Yes."_

_"Don't you think Maika-san is lucky? She's beautiful and she's got herself the most handsome guy in the entire school. Not only that, he happens to be the Emperor too!"_

_"Yes."_

_"No girl in this school can compare to him other than her, don't you think?"_

_"Yes."_

_"They definitely suit each other," Noriko concluded as she began walking off._

_"Yes," Ryouka replied, more to herself as she began to follow her friend to the cafeteria._

0-0-0-0-0

Ryouka didn't realize her hands were shaking until she reached back to take the apron off. She just couldn't concentrate on doing any household chores. As hard as she tried, she failed miserably. She was a nervous wreck and the anxiety was simply killing her. Ryouka ran her shaky hand over her disheveled hair. Usually, she would style it but today, she left it down her shoulders in gentle waves.

Itsuki had been gone for a little over an hour after he received thatonephone call. His expression turned grave when he first answered it. Ryouka didn't know who that mysterious caller could be and for some unusual reason, she feared to ask Itsuki about the caller. It wasn't until he was about to leave the house that he mentioned it to her. _"It's the Kamiyas. I'll be back soon,"_ he assured her.

Was it Kazuhito-sama? Or Maika-sama? Ryouka didn't know. But somehow, she had an ominous feeling that the phone call foreshadowed something about their marriage. Was it over already? If so, how would Itsuki break it to her when he returns home? Would he simply tell her that he reconciled with Maika-sama and request a divorce? What should she do from then on?

Suddenly, Ryouka heard the car pull up to the household followed by the sound of the car door closing. Without thinking, she hurried for the door and swung it open just as her husband planted a foot on the front step.

"Ryouka-san!" he cried, taken aback. "What's wrong?!"

She flushed. "Um…I…," she began hesitantly, "I used to admire Maika-sama very much."

It was an unusual greeting at the front door and Itsuki was indeed puzzled.

"A lot of people in school knew of the rumour…that you and her were lovers…both of you had a kind, gentle aura…you suited each other perfectly…I…I really admired her," Ryouka confessed. "…So…"

"So…?" Itsuki asked as he was still confused about where this was leading to.

Tears were welling up in her eyes and they finally slid down her soft cheeks. "I thought…you would never come back to me," she admitted softly.

Itsuki stood there in a daze and at a lost for words. Seeing this beautiful, teary-eyed woman make such a heart-warming confession made him smile. He started up the steps towards her.

"I was able to go because you are here," Itsuki finally replied as he took her in his arms and held her close. "Of course…I'd come back to you," he admitted as he stooped down to kiss Ryouka deeply on the lips.

_'Goodbye, Maika… _

_ …My soul mate.'_

0-0-0-0-0

That night, Ryouka couldn't sleep. There were too many things on her mind, which she couldn't keep count of. One of them that troubled her the most was whether Itsuki really loved her. Maika-sama still clung strongly to his heart, barely making space for her. At the thought of that, her eyes began to sting with tears again. She sat up in bed and watched her husband sleep, while contemplating. Ryouka didn't know how long she had been staring at him for but after a long moment of consideration, she finally settled on that one decision.

0-0-0-0-0

The next morning, Itsuki awoke from his alarm clock. He jerked up in bed and quickly shut the alarm off. It was extremely rare that the alarm would even go on. Usually, Ryouka would wake him up for work. Where was she? Itsuki got out of bed and headed for the bathroom to wash up. Perhaps, his wife was too preoccupied with making breakfast in the kitchen for him and the kids.

"Good morning, Itsuki-san!" Haine greeted happily as her foster father stepped into the kitchen.

"Good morning," Kusame greeted as well.

They were dressed for school and were sitting by the kitchen table eating breakfast. Something didn't look right though. Ryouka was missing. Where was she?

"Good morning," Itsuki smiled. "Where's Ryouka-san?" he asked curiously.

"That's what we wanted to ask you!" Haine frowned. "When we came down, there were food on the table but Ryouka-san wasn't there to greet us like she does every morning."

"Yeah," Kusame chirped in after a sip of his tea. "Usually, Okasan would be busy preparing your bento around this time."

Itsuki felt his heart skip a beat at the thought of Ryouka being missing. Something definitely wasn't right. But he didn't want the kids worrying.

"Oh…I remember now. Yesterday, Ryouka-san told me she had some errands to run this morning," Itsuki lied. "Not sure what they were but maybe it's a surprise?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"That explains everything then," Kusame sighed in relief.

"I guess we'll find out what it is when we come home from school!" Haine smiled.

_'Maybe I shouldn't have lied to them_,_'_ he thought.

When Itsuki was finally alone in the house, he called in to his company to notify his associates about his absence for the day. He spent the whole morning calling Ryouka's cell phone. However, he could only reach her voicemail.

_'Ryouka-san…where are you?!'_

Itsuki called her cell phone again. Voicemail.

He called again. Voicemail. And again! Voicemail. Why wasn't she picking up?! Did something urgent come up and she just didn't have time to contact him?

In the afternoon, Itsuki rushed out and drove around the areas that Ryouka would usually frequent during the day. He checked the sidewalks as he drove by each area. He had been driving around for hours, hoping to reunite with his wife. However, his efforts were all futile. He still couldn't find her.

Itsuki finally drove back, hoping that Ryouka might have returned home while he was out searching for her. He was wrong. She wasn't home to greet him as he stepped into the house. Itsuki stood by the front window for a very long time, keeping a watchful eye out for his wife. When there were still no sign of her, he couldn't stand it anymore. He swung the front door open, stood by the front steps and did what the majority would think was crazy.

"RYOUKA-SAAAAANNNNN!!!!"

0-0-0-0-0

"Eh…? What's with the police officers?" Kusame indicated to Haine as they walked up to the Otomiya mansion.

Haine literally went pale as fear overwhelmed her. "Itsuki-san and Ryouka-san! Are they alright?!"

Before Kusame could even utter another word, the older sibling had already made a mad dash towards the mansion. He ran after her at full speed.

Itsuki was standing by the front steps as two officers got out of their vehicles and approached him. They pulled out a notepad and pen from their jacket. He gave a nervous laugh as the officers said something to him.

"Itsuki-san!" Haine cried as she ran up to her foster father's side with Kusame.

"Haine-chan!"

"What happened? Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine," he laughed embarrassedly.

"How come there are police officers here?" Kusame asked, puzzled by their presence.

"We received a complaint that someone from this area was causing neighbourhood disruption," the first officer responded.

"We found your father to be the source of the noise," the second officer explained, shaking his head.

Haine and Kusame exchanged glances. "What noise?" they asked in unison.

"The complaint we received was that a man, which is Mr. Otomiya here," continued the second officer, "had been screaming for one hour straight for someone named Ry– "

_'They would be worried sick if they found out Ryouka-san's missing!'_

"RYOU!!!" Itsuki hollered as loudly as he could over the officer's voice.

The kids looked utterly confused now. "Who's Ryou?" they happened to ask in unison again.

"Alright, there's no point in hiding it now," Itsuki sighed as he improvised, "I got you two a puppy today but when I brought him home, he jumped out of my arms and ran off. I was just calling him back."

Haine was teary-eyed. "Really, Itsuki-san?"

"Yes. So that's what happened, officers…"

"I see," the first officer replied as he jotted down some notes on his notepad. "We must issue a warning though. If we receive another complaint like this next time, you will be penalized."

"Yes sir!" Itsuki saluted.

0-0-0-0-0

_'Hi, you have reached the voicemail of Ryouka Otomiya. I'm sorry to have missed your call. Please leave your name, your number, and a brief message and I will return your call as soon as I am able to. Thank you!'_

Itsuki had probably left over a hundred voicemails to his wife. Most of the messages weren't exactly "brief". Some were so long that he got cut off from the amount of time that was allowed for a message.

It was night time already and there were still no sign of his wife. He lied to the kids again, saying Ryouka-san was staying at her friend's place, taking care of her because she was sick. They were both curious at first but eventually, they nodded in understanding. Itsuki just hoped that the kids bought that lame excuse.

Itsuki scanned the sidewalks as he drove cautiously through the streets within the downtown core. He snuck out not long after the kids went to their rooms after dinner. It was almost ten. The streets were still busy around this time but he didn't see Ryouka walking in them.

Could something have happened to Ryouka when she went grocery shopping in the morning? Like coming upon some thugs or even…rapists?! Fear was crawling up his spine now. At that bizarre thought, Itsuki whipped out his cell phone again, about to call the police to report his wife missing (even though it wasn't twenty-four hours yet)…when he realized there was mail in his inbox.

He pulled the car over to the side and stopped with the emergency lights on.

Itsuki's heart nearly sank as he read the message. It was from Ryouka.

_Itsuki-san,_

_Please don't trouble yourself in looking for me. I'm in a safe place right now and doing quite well. Thank you for all the kind words yesterday. However, I know that in truth, you still love Maika-sama very much. I know that you would probably return to her instead of me if she told you that she still loves you. I understand that. I really do. Itsuki-san…forgive me…I can't give you the happiness that you desire. Thank you for all your kindness to me. Goodbye. _

_- Ryouka_

Itsuki didn't realize the tears until they trickled down his cheeks. Shielding his face with a hand, he doubled over and cried relentlessly. Overcome with so much emotion that he was even unaware of the traffic control officer standing by his car, writing him a ticket for illegal parking.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"_I'm sorry, Ryouka-san…_

… _I'm still in love with Maika…_

…_I'm sorry…"_

Ryouka jolted awake again. The words "I'm sorry" kept echoing in the back of her mind like a broken record. Itsuki was haunting her dreams again. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push him out of her mind. How could she rid of those thoughts of him? She just didn't know. It was impossible. She loved him too much.

As the first streak of sunlight pierced through the blinds, Ryouka got out of bed to open them. The sun was just rising behind a few buildings in the far distance. It was a beautiful yellow and orange colour. Absolutely beautiful. She was always the first person in the house to see the sunrise since the kids would be getting up around this time and Itsuki would be showering and getting ready for work.

Oh no. Why did she have to think about Itsuki again? No, no, no… That was a big mistake. She felt even more depressed now. There was a dull ache in her chest as she recalled Itsuki admitting those words to her: "I'm still in love with Maika…I'm sorry". She knew that in reality, Itsuki had never said that to her. It was only in her dreams that he confessed to being in love with Maika. Regardless, it hurt.

That day when Itsuki returned from the Kamiya mansion, he bore a sad and almost regretful expression on his face. Though he had assured her that he was able to come back because of her, Ryouka knew that deep down, Itsuki still loved Maika. There was no way that she could ever replace Maika in his heart.

It took her all night to come to a final conclusion: she would leave her husband. It was more painful to pretend to be oblivious to Itsuki's continuous love for Maika. It was too agonizing to stay with a man whose heart still belonged to another woman's. Leaving was the best choice.

It was better for him and especially for her.

0-0-0-0-0

"I hope Okasan's back," Kusame sighed as he and Haine walked home together after school activities were over.

"I sure hope so too," Haine agreed. "I know it's only been three days but Itsuki-san's been looking really lonely."

"No kidding. I can tell by the way he's been spacing out."

"Did you ever call Ryouka-san to see when she can come home?"

Kusame sighed again as he turned the corner with Haine. "I did but it keeps going straight to voice mail."

"Hmm. Maybe she's just too busy looking after her friend?" Haine suggested.

"Well, I just hope that she comes home soon. I really miss her bentos. The ones prepared by Itsuki-san are _horrific_. We should really ban him from cooking."

"Kusame!" Haine cried in shock. "You should be flattered that Itsuki-san even puts in his time and effort in preparing those bentos for us!"

"You seriously like his cooking?"

Haine hesitated for a split second before replying, "Yes!"

"Get your taste buds checked."

Haine stuck out her tongue at Kusame and he laughed as he walked ahead of her.

0-0-0-0-0

"…_I know that in truth, you still love Maika-sama very much…_

…_Itsuki-san…forgive me…I can't give you the happiness that you desire."_

For the past few days, Itsuki had been wandering aimlessly around the house, periodically whipping out his cell phone to stare at the text message left by his wife. What did Ryouka mean by that message? He was happy! He felt content with her. Wasn't that enough?

Itsuki was usually a calm and collected person. This time, however, he felt very anxious as if he was anticipating something bad to come. Not good…

'_Okay, THINK, Itsuki!' _as the man stopped his pacing around the living room._ 'You need to find Ryouka-san and clear things up. Where could she be though?'_

'_Maybe she went to her parents?' _he suggested.

'_No wait,'_ he rebutted._ 'Her parents are now deceased… How could you have forgotten?' _he chastised.

'_What about her friends?' _he suggested with a surge of hope. _'Oh wait. Who are her friends again?'_

Itsuki groaned inwardly. He didn't have a single clue. There was no way he was going to find her. What kind of a husband was he? No wonder his wife left him. He barely understood her. He felt like a total jackass.

He turned to their wedding portrait hanging on the far wall. Ryouka was wearing a simple wedding gown that followed every contour of her slim body. Her hair was donned on one side in long, gentle waves. Her eyes were big and round. She was smiling ever so sweetly at the camera. She was absolutely beautiful.

Itsuki swallowed hard as he stared intently at the portrait. He finally cast his gaze away from Ryouka, only to face the emptiness of his house again. Like his house, he felt so empty deep inside and so disturbingly alone.

Other small photos aligned the wall as he paced around the living room again. There were photos of Haine, of Kusame, of him and Ryouka, of him and Ryouka and the kids on vacation, of him and Ryouka and his business associates, of him and Ryouka and…

0-0-0-0-0

"Itsuki-san! We're home!" Haine hollered as she and Kusame kicked off their shoes and stepped into the house.

"Okasan? Are you home?" Kusame called right after.

They were both welcomed by silence.

"Itsuki-san?" Haine called again.

"Didn't he take the day off today?" Kusame frowned.

"That's what he told us this morning."

"Maybe he finally came to his senses and realized how bad his cooking has been so he's going out to get us some REAL food!" Kusame suggested happily.

"Will you quit trashing Itsuki-san's cooking?" Haine rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Kusame laughed as he stepped into the kitchen. "Hey, there's a note on the table."

"What does it say?"

"Went to pick-up Ryouka-san. Will be late for dinner. Don't forget to heat up the leftovers in the fridge," Kusame read out to Haine.

"Ryouka-san's finally coming home?" she cried happily.

"You don't know how glad I am to hear that."

"Well, let's go heat up our dinner then!" Haine practically sang.

"No way. I'd rather go without eating."

"Kusame!"

He laughed. "Okay, okay. At least wait for Okasan to come home and fix something for us all?"

"Un!" Haine agreed. "It's not the same if the four of us don't eat dinner together!"

Kusame couldn't agree more.

0-0-0-0-0

Ryouka held the medium-sized, yellow-brown envelope against her chest as she climbed the steps to her apartment on the third floor. It had been a long, tiring day for her. All she wanted to do was take a hot shower and then go straight to bed. However, she thought it would be better to fill out those forms first.

Her cell phone rang just as she reached into her pocket for the apartment key. She froze. It continued to ring persistently. It was time to cancel this number and replace it with a new one. Then, she would have to give the kids her new number and then explain everything to them. Everything that stands between her and Itsuki. She wasn't prepared for it but knew that she would have to face it sooner or later.

Ryouka took out her cell phone, fearing who the caller could be. With a sigh of relief, it was only her friend Noriko on the call display.

"Hello, Noriko?"

"Ryouka, I'm sorry!"

"Sorry?" she asked confusedly. "Why? What happened?"

"It's your husband…"

"My husband?" she asked as the thought of him made her heart pound wildly against her chest.

"He's coming," she answered hurriedly. "In fact, he might even be here already!"

"What?"

"I'm sorry!" she repeated. "I can explain!"

Blood drained out of her face immediately. Fear tickled her spine. Oh no, this was really bad! She didn't want to see him! Not now!

"I'll call you later!" Ryouka cried as she hung up and fumbled for that key in her pocket. She whipped it out and began to unlock her apartment door.

Her hand wasn't listening. She couldn't get the key completely into the lock. No, no, no! _'Come on! Work, damn it, work!'_

Unfortunately, a large, warm hand prevented her from achieving her goal. She felt own hand shake at the sudden contact.

Ryouka sighed submissively. "Why are you here?"

"To take you back," the man replied.

She shook her head, refusing to look at him.

"The kids are beginning to worry. So I fabricated a story to them. That you were caring for a sick friend."

Was that all to it? Was there no other reason? Ryouka felt her eyes sting and her lips tremble. But she refused to cry in front of him again.

"Don't worry, I will tell them everything soon."

"What do you plan to tell them?" he demanded, his grip tightening on her small wrist.

Ryouka recoiled slightly. She had never heard him raise his voice like that or even sound angry. Nevertheless, she held her ground. "I will tell them that we will be separating and we will remain good friends."

"We are not having a divorce," he stated. There was a sharpness to his voice.

"The forms are here," Ryouka nodded at the yellow-brown envelope tucked against her chest. "Your copy is in there too."

"I'm not going to sign it."

"Why can't you understand?" she sighed with frustration. "The woman you love isn't me. It is Maika-sama!"

Itsuki turned Ryouka to face him. "That was in the past."

"No," she shook her head dejectedly. "I can see it in your eyes. Your love for her still lingers. The pain for losing her also lingers. Your eyes give them away, Itsuki-san."

Silence filled the gap between them.

Ryouka smiled sadly. She reached up and placed her free hand on the side of his face, bringing his attention to her. "Can you really look me in the eyes and tell me that your love for Maika-sama is in the past? Can you really look me in the eyes and say that I'm the one you love now?"

Silence filled the air again.

She knew it. Ryouka lowered her hand slowly and turned away from him. She wanted to cry. "Go back," she said with surprising calmness. "It's getting late now. The kids will start worrying about you." She attempted to unlock her apartment door again. "The forms," she stated as she managed to get the door open. "I'll have them mailed to you."

Before Ryouka could even step inside, she felt his arm encircle her waist.

"What – ?"

The next thing she knew, she was tossed effortlessly over Itsuki's right shoulder like a sack of rice.

"What are you doing?" she cried as she pounded his broad back with her fist. "Put me down!"

"Sorry."

"Somebody help me!" she cried but immediately lowered her voice. If a security guard was around, he would probably think that Itsuki was abducting her or something. Well, technically, he was. The security guard would probably notify the police if he saw them. Fearing for Itsuki's safety, she kept her mouth shut.

Itsuki couldn't help but chuckle as he took the stairs down to the parking lot.

Ryouka gritted her teeth. This was the first time where she felt seriously angry.

By the time they reached the parking lot, Itsuki placed her inside his car on the passenger's side and buckled her in. He leaned in, his face a mere few inches away from hers.

"I'll pretend you never got these," he held out the divorce papers in front of them.

Ryouka watched impassively as Itsuki ripped up the documents in front of her. She clenched her fists on her lap. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all! Why did she have to submit to his ways?

Itsuki leaned in again but this time, he brought her lips to his and kissed her. She was unresponsive but that didn't stop him from deepening the kiss.

When he pulled away, he whispered, "I'm taking you back now. And I will prove you wrong."

Ryouka blinked confusedly. What did he mean by that?

With a gentle smile, Itsuki closed the door on the passenger's side and got in from the driver's side. He started the car and began heading towards home.

Itsuki knew that it would probably take some time before Ryouka would start trusting him again. He was a patient man. He could wait. He was confident that he could win her heart all over again.


End file.
